Wheel cover



G. A. LYON WHEEL COVER June 3, 1947.

2 Sheets-Sheet l s n s t l l l n Il *n."hll,

Filed July 24, 1944 June 3, 1947. G, A LYON 2,421,386

/WHEEL COVER 'Filed July 24, 1944 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented June 3, 1947 UNITED STATES vPATENT OFFICE A WHEEL COVER George Albert Lyon, Allenhurst, N. J.

Application July 24, 1944, Serial No. 546,267

14 Claims. 1 This invention relates to a wheel structure, and more particularly to a wheel cover and means for holding the same on wheel.

The subject matter of the rst f-orm of this application has been carved in toto from my co-pending application, Serial No. 506,172, filed October 14, 1943; and hence this application is a continuation of my earlier led one.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved highly ornamental wheel cover which lends itself to fabrication out of plastic and which may be very easily retained on a wheel without altering the configuration of the wheel.

Another object of this invention is to provide reinforcing means for strengthening the intermediate portion of a resilient plastic cover.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement for retaining an ornamental bead on a folded section of a wheel cover.

In accordance with the general features of this invention, there is provided in a wheel an article of manufacture comprising a circular wheel cover having an annular fold radially inwardly of the outer edge of the cover and providing an outwardly opening annular recess, and an annular bead with one of its side edges wedged in the recess.

Still another feature of the invention relates to the location of the fold in the aforementioned cover in such a manner that it may be resiliently engaged by iingers on a retaining ring mounted on a wheel.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a single embodiment thereof, and in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary side View of a wheel structure embodying the features of this invention with a portion of the cover broken away to show the retaining means;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional view taken on the line lI-II of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and showing the manner in which the cover is held on the wheel by the fingers of the retaining ring;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional view corresponding to a right-hand portion of Figure 2 and showing more clearly the manner in which the retaining means cooperates with the folded section of the cover, as well as the manner in which the bead is wedged in the folded section;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional View similar to Figure 3, showing a modified form of retaining means for the cover and l Y Figure 5 is a fragmentary crosssectional View similar to Figure 3, illustrating still another form of retaining means for the cover.

As shown o-n the drawings:

The reference character 9 designates generally a conventional type of pneumatic tube tire mounted on a conventional drop-center multifianged tire rim HJ. The tire rim I9 has its base ange attached at a plurality of points to a wheel body or spider member Il, which, as is well known in the art, may comprise a metallic stamping. The areas between the points of attachment of the body to the rim are formed into openings i2 for the purpose of allowing air to circulate through the wheel, as is well known in the art.

The central portion of the dished shell-like body il is provided with an inwardly offset mounting nange it by means of which the wheel may be attached in the usual way by wheel bolts or cap screws (not shown) to a support on the vehicle.

Cooperable with this structure is a wheel cover embodying the features of this invention and designated generally by the reference character l5. This wheel structure is of a unitary form and preferably comprises outer ring and central hub cap sections I1 and I8 joined together by an intermediate folded section 20. This entire cover may be made of any suitable material but excellent results may be attained by forming it out of resiliently flexible plastic sheet which may be easily manually flexed but which will resist permanent deformation. In other words, after any exure thereof the disk will tend to spring back to its original contour by reason of its inherent resilient characteristics.

Excellent results may be obtained by fabricating the wheel cover l5 out of a synthetic plastic material, such as ethyl cellulose.

The outer edge of the ring section l1 is slightly turned into a lip I9 which overlies the side wall of the tire but is not in direct contact with the tire. This lip I9 extends beyond the outermost edge of the tire rim ID.

When the cover is retained on the wheel, the lip i9 may be manually flexed for the purpose of pulling the outer portion of the cover away from the rim to an extent such as to permit access to the rear side of the ring section Il. Such access may be desired in the event the valve stem 8 does not extend through a hole in the ring section l1 V(as shown in Figure 1) form. This bead, as in all forms, may be made of metal, such as stainless steel, and assists to ornament and rigidify the cover at the junction of the two portions 56 and 51.

The looped section 58 is adapted to bear at 60 upon the wheel body Il so as to be backed up thereby.

The outer margin of the wheel cover portion 56 is turned axially rearwardly at 6I inside of the outer flange 62 of the tire rim Hl, It is provided with a radially outwardly projecting annular shoulder or edge -63 for retaining cooperation with a groove 64 in an annular retaining ring 65. This ring 65 includes a radially extending outer portion 66 which overlaps the outer edge of the flange 62 in close proximity to the outer side wall of tire 9. It also includes a rearwardly turned flange 61 in which is formed the aforesaid groove 54. The flange 61 is provided with a plurality of resilient outwardly turned fingers 68 arranged to be snapped into retaining resilient engagement with the inner curved surface of the outer rim flange 66.

In the use of this form of cover, the retaining ring 65 may be first applied to the wheel by pressing it axially against the rim flange 62, This results in the spaced resilient fingers being cammed radially inwardly over and behind the outer edge of the flange 62 and into resilient retaining engagement therewith. The ring may be made of any suitable material, but excellent results may be obtained by making it of stainless steel since the same lends itself to a highly ornamental lustrous finish.

Thereafter the plastic cover 55 may be aligned with the ange 61 of the ring 65 and pressed axially into the same until its edge or shoulder 63 snaps into the groove 64 of the ring 65. The flexible resilient characteristics of the plastic permits of its edge 63 resiliently snapping into the groove or recess 64 of the retaining ring 65.

The portions of the cover 55 are arranged so that when the edge 63 snaps in the groove 64, the folded section 58 bears against the wheel body part at 60 so as to be backed up thereby.

In this form of the invention, as in the previous form illustrated in Figure 4, the cover may be removed by inserting the edge of a blunt instrument, such as a screw driver or pry-off tool, underneath the outer turned portion of the cover and thereby prying it free of its retaining cooperation with the wheel.

The bead or ring 65 may be similarly removed from the wheel by inserting a screw-driver under its outer turned edge and thus forcibly prying the lingers 68 out of resilient retaining engagement with the turned rim flange 62.

In all forms of the invention, as noted before, the cover maybe made of a synthetic plastic material, such as ethyl cellulose. This material enables the cover to have substantial rigidity in the vertical plane of the cover as illustrated and yet enables the concentric outer and central portions of the cover to be transversely defiectable without permanent deformation. In other words, upon deflection, said portions will of their own accord spring or return back to the original contour prior to deflection.

In all forms of the invention, the plastic cover or trim, due to the manner in which' the outer annular portion of the same extends both axially and radially inwardly from the plane of the outer edge of the wheel rim part, tends at its outer margin to move under the impulse of centrifugal force toward the medial plane of the tire. Thus, in use, as the wheel is rotated at a high speed, the

outer margin of the plastic trim will tend to fiex about its reinforced or junction point in a direction toward th'e rim of the wheel and thus insure a tighter cooperation of the outer annular por tion of the cover with the wheel. This tendency is also augmented by reason of the forces set up in the wheel due to the so-called thrust or throw of the wheel as the vehicle is travelling forward.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a cover structure for a wheel including tire rim and body parts, a wh'eel cover for attachment to an outer side of said wheel and including an outer annular ring section and a central circular section connected together by a junction section of loop-like cross-section, one of said sections adjacent said junction section having an annular shoulder and a reinforcing hollow ring with underturned edge portions engaging opposite sides of said shoulder and also having one of its edge portions extending into the space defined by said junction section and resiliently wedged therein to rigidify and ornament the cover at the junction of said ring and central sections.

2. In a wheel structure including a wheel, a Wheel cover including an ou-ter ring section and a, central circular section connected together by a folded section of loop-like cross-section, one

' of the sections connected by the folded section having adjacent the folded section an annular shoulder and a ring with edge portions engaging opposite sides of said shoulder and also having one of the edge portions extending into the space defined by the folded section and resiliently held therein, and means on the wheel for retainingly engaging the rear surface of the folded section to hold the cover on the wheel.

3. In a wheel structure including a wheel, a wheel cover including an outer ring section and a central circular section connected together by a folded section of loop-like cross-section, one of the sections connected by the folded section having adjacent the'folded section an annular shoulder and a. ring with edge portions engaging opposite sides of said shoulder and also having one of the edge portions extending into the space defined by the lfolded section and resiliently wedged therein, and means on the wheel for retainingly engaging the rear surface of the folded section to hold the cover on the wheel, said central section comprising a hub cap for the center of the wheel and said shoulder comprising the outer edge of the hub cap.

4. In a wheel structure including a wheel, a wheel cover including an outer ring section and a central circular section connected together by a folded section of loop-like cross-section, one of the sections connected by the folded section having adjacent the folded section an annular shoulder and a ring with edge portions engaging opposite sides of said shoulder and also having one of the edge portions extending into the space defined by the folded section and resiliently held therein, and means on the wheel for retainingly engaging the rear surface of the folded section to hold the cover on the wheel, said central section comprising a hub cap for th'e center of the wheel and said shouder comprising the outer edge of the hub cap, said retain ing means comprising resilient fingers extending into the interior of the hub cap and on an inoline behind said folded section so as to cam the cover into retained engagement with the wheel.

5. In a wheel structure including a wheel, a wheel cover including an outer ring section and a central circular section connected together by a folded section of loop-like cross-section, one of the sections connected by the folded section having adjacent th'e folded section an annular shoulder and a ring with edge portions engaging opposite sides of said shoulder and also having one of the edge portions extending into the space dened by the folded section and resiliently held therein, and means on the wheel for retainingly engaging the rear surface of the folded section to hold the cover on the Wheel, said cover being made of a synthetic plastic material which is resiliently deflectable but resistant to permanent deformation, and said ring section being of such curved cross-section and of such depth as to appear to constitute a part of the side wall of the tire on the wheel.

6. As a-n article of manufacture, a circular wheel cover having an annular fold radially inwardly of the outer edge of Ithe cover and providing an outwardly opening annular recess, and an annular bead with one of its side edges wedged in said recess and the other edge being disposed exteriorly of the opening, said cover having an annular shoulder adjacent said recess and extending into the interior of said bead for assisting in retaining the bead on the wheel.

7. The structure of claim 7 further characterized by the outer margin of the cover being provided with means for retaining the cover on the wheel.

8. In a cover structure for a wheel including tire rim and body parts, a circular wheel trim of light weight for attachment to an outer side of a wheel comprising an annular portion of relatively thin plastic material and which is comparativelyrigid in the general plane of said portion so as to be self-sustaining but transversely resiliently delectable, said portion having a radially inner part offset substantially radially and axially inwardly toward the body part from the outer margin of said portion and being formed to provide a stiiening relative to which said outer margin is transversely flexible toward and from the rim par-t, said outer margin of the trim being turned axially rearwardly for detachable retaining cooperation with the rim part of the wheel.

9. In a cover structure for a wheel including tire rim and body parts, a circular wheel trim of light weight for attachment to an outer side of the wheel, comprising an annular portion of relatively thin plastic material and which is comparatively rigid in the general plane of said portion so as to be self-sustaining but transversely resili-ently deectable, said portion having a radially inner part offset substantially radially and axially inwardly toward the body part from the outer margin of said portion and said portion being flexible from said inner part outwardly to aiord access to its rear and whereby its outer margin tends to move by centrifugal force toward the wheel, said portion being of curved cross section the curvature of which corresponds generally to that of a side wall of a tire on the rim part so that in use on a wheel said portion will appear to be a radially inner continuation of the side wall of the tire, said cuter margin of the trim being turned axially rearwardly for resilient detachable retaining cooperation at the rim part of the wheel.

10. The structure of claim 9 further characterized by the cover inner part being provided with a plastic central hub cap simulating portion which is transversely flexible relative to said bearing on the wheel body member.

11. In a cover structure for a wheel including tire rim and body parts, a circular wheel trim of light weight for attachment to an outer side of a wheel comprising an annular portion of relatively thin plastic material and which is comparatively rigid in the general plane of said portion so as to be self-sustaining but transversely resiliently deectable, said portion having a radially inner part oset substantially radially and axially inwardly toward the body part from the outer margin of said portion and being formed to provide a stiffening relative to which said outer margin is transversely flexible toward and from the rim part, said outer margin of the trim being formed into a hollow rearwardly projecting curved edge adapted to turn radially inwardly as the same is pressed against the rim part of the wheel for retaining the trim on the wheel under tension.

12. In a cover structure for a wheel including tire rim and body parts, a circular wheel trim of light weight for attachment to an outer side of a wheel comprising an annular portion of relatively thin plastic material and which is comparatively rigid in the general plane of said portion so as to be self-sustaining but transversely resiliently delectable, said portion having a radially inner part oiset substantially radially and axially inwardly toward the body part from the outer margin of said portion and being formed to provide a stiening relative to which said outer margin is transversely flexible toward and from the rim part, said outer margin of the trim being provided with a separate retaining ring pressed into retained engagement with the rim part of the wheel and having an inner flange cooperable with the outer margin of the trim for detachably retaining the same on the wheel.

13. The structure of claim l2 further characterized by the separate retaining ring having on its inner side radially and axially outwardly turned spring ngers for detachably gripping the inner surface of the rim part of the wheel.

14. In combination in a cover construction of the character described comprising concentric convex integral circular portions of flexible material which is form-sustaining and yet deflectable without permanent deformation, said portions being connected by an integral indentation of substantial reentrant depth, and an annulus of convex cross section in engagement at one edge with the convex surface of one of said portions and having its other edge tucked retainingly into said indentation.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,162,736 Lyon June 20, 1939 2,279,334 Lyon Apr. 14, 1942 1,234,387 Pugh July 24, 1917 2,022,128 Lyon Nov. 26, 1935 

